Richard Bong

America's greatest air ace, Major Richard "Dick" Bong should be much better remembered in Australia, not least because he scored many of his 40 or so kills supporting Australian soldiers over Papua New Guinea.

He might have reached 88 years of age this September 24, but sadly died while testing an aircraft on the same day that Hiroshima was bombed, widowing his 21-year-old wife. He was reportedly a man of few words, but his widow Marge recalls his favourite saying: "We are just doing our job."